The mission was simple: Find out if this whole playing great with is an actual thing. It was the quickest reconnaissance mission ever conducted.
Mudiay confirmed it. With a grin. Thought reluctantly at first.
“I don’t want to say itap a thi….,” he started, then smiled. “I’m going to be honest: yeah. Yeah. Gary going down, I don’t think anyone was as hurt as I was when he was down for the preseason and this right now.”
And the numbers more than back up Mudiay’s words of how well the two are playing when on the court at the same time.
In the six games Mudiay and Harris have been the starting backcourt this season the second-year point guard’s numbers have soared. Mudiay is averaging 19.0 points on 50 percent shooting overall and 51.9 percent from the 3-point line in that stretch, along with 4.0 assists in those games.
Without Harris? Mudiay’s numbers drop. Big time. His averages are 11.4 points on 32.5 percent shooting overall and 22.1 percent from the 3-point line.
The biggest question is why.
Itap an easy answer, according to Mudiay. Chemistry. Mudiay and Harris are close friends off the court and that bond puts both of them at greater ease on the court. Mudiay praises Harris for knowing “the right way to play.”
“Me and him have a great feel for each other,” Mudiay said. “Thatap the person I’ve been playing with since Day 1. When I got drafted, we were together on the same summer league team. Thatap one of my best friends in the NBA. So, it is a comfort level there. He knows how to talk to me, I know how to talk to him. Itap rare that I open up to people. Thatap my guy though. He’s a good friend. We talk about a lot of stuff, even off the court.”
Mudiay played arguably his best game of the season on Saturday night in the Nuggets’ win over New York, with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, five assists and one turnover. Mudiay had as serious a look to him on the court as he has had all season long.
“I was pretty determined just because I know for four or five straight games I wasn’t playing how I wanted to play,” Mudiay said. “I was determined to come out there, be aggressive and get stuff done for my teammates, and try to defend good.”
And while the good times roll for Mudiay when Harris in the lineup, he said he understands he’s got to find rhythm with whomever plays alongside him. Still, a Mudiay-Harris backcourt duo has been a boon.
“That kid can play,” said Harris of Mudiay. “We’ve all seen what he can do. I’m just happy to see him get out there, getting back in his rhythm, knocking down shots, creating for everybody, getting to the rim. So if he keeps playing like that we’re a real dangerous team.”
